Stories for October 1, 2010

It’s been four years since San Diego voters rejected the nutty idea of moving their international airport to Miramar Air Station and sharing it with the Marines. But that vote of no confidence meant San Diego would still be stuck with a one-runway airport called Lindbergh Field which may someday run out of landing space.

When America's system of political asylum works correctly, people who have suffered under repressive regimes can find a safe haven in the U.S. to begin new lives. But when that same system is manipulated, some fear political asylum can be used by dangerous people to enter the U.S. legally.

Voters in the City of San Diego have a proposition on the November ballot which promises to bring in an extra $100 million to the deficit-ridden general fund by raising the city sales tax by half a cent.

Elia Kazan’s name was brought front and center to the world again during the buzz surrounding the March 1999 Academy Awards. He was to receive an Oscar for Lifetime Achievement, an honor that divided Hollywood. "A Letter To Elia," written and directed by Scorsese and his longtime collaborator Kent Jones, is a deeply personal film, a frank portrait and self-portrait, and an equally frank acknowledgement of the closeness and the distance between artists and their art.

At ANTIQUES ROADSHOW in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, appraiser John Sollo of David Rago Auctions discovers a mahogany chair by famous eccentric Arts and Crafts maker Charles Rohlf. One of only four known to exist in this style, the chair blurs the boundary between furniture and art. Sollo stuns the owner, who clearly needs a seat after she learns the chair is valued at $80,000-$120,000 at auction.

This film is a profile of America's first all-female mariachi band --Mariachi Reyna de Los Angeles. This 12-member group has taken on a male-dominated musical tradition and expanded the popularity of mariachi music. Combining performances with behind-the-scenes drama, "Compañeras" reveals the intense, passionate world of female mariachi. Terrence Howard hosts.

Kenneth Branagh returns for a second season as detective Kurt Wallander. Based on the novels by best-selling author Henning Mankell, Wallander battles crimes, and his own demons, in the bucolic yet brutal seaside town of Ystad, Sweden. In "Faceless Killers," Wallander investigates the brutal slaying of an elderly couple at an isolated farmhouse. The fallout from the case leads the detective to doubt everything, including his abilities as a police officer.

In this all-new program, Slott answers pressing viewer retirement questions: how not to run out of money in retirement, ROTH IRA conversion traps, 10 steps to pay less taxes, a rundown of key retirement terms, how to pick retirement professionals, and much more. Shot before a live audience, "Lower Your Taxes! Now And Forever" features Slott's humorous and informative style, filled with poignant anecdotes and a fresh new look. Throughout the special, Slott manages to make difficult subjects, including estate planning, family conversations about money, and retirement planning, understandable and fun.

In this episode, we whisper secrets across the dome of St. Paul's Cathedral and eat our way through Soho. Then we check out the treasures of the new British Library, roll with the drums at the Changing of the Guard, and cruise the Thames to Kew Gardens.

Last week, a 15-year-old Encinitas girl told her parents and police that she'd been kidnapped and raped by three Latino men. Before she admitted that the entire story was fabricated, the police had conducted an intense manhunt in a community already on high alert after the murders of teenagers Chelsea King and Amber Dubois. The story raises questions of how false accusations like this impact communities of color already vulnerable to institutionalized racism.

“Let Me In” (opening October 1 throughout San Diego) is a remake of the sweetly horrific Swedish film “Let the Right One In.” In a nutshell: Please see the original. You can listen to our Film Club of the Air discussion as well.

A group of local business leaders released a report this week calling for the city to commit to a number of fiscal reforms to go along with Proposition D. What kind of reforms are the business leaders calling for? And, how important will support from the business community be to the Prop. D campaign?

California gubernatorial candidates Jerry Brown and Meg Whitman are in a virtual tie in the latest polls. What are the strengths and weaknesses of each candidate? And, how might the debates impact the race for governor?

How many local families have been pushed into poverty as a result of the recession? We discuss the latest U.S. Census Bureau statistics on poverty in San Diego, and the measures that can be taken locally to reduce the rate of poverty.